B.S. in Health Information Management

Our online health information management programs will prepare you for the business side of healthcare. You’ll learn informatics, quality assurance, compliance, medical coding, and management. Upon graduating, you will be eligible to sit for the national credentialing examination to become a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). Credentialed graduates hold positions in data management, finance, compliance, health record management, and other areas.

Our students are annually honored with scholarships from both the American Health Information Management Association and the state association in New Jersey. Within six months of graduation, more than 90% of graduates are employed in Health Information Management-related positions.

Our online programs may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Our students apply after having completed general education courses at other institutions, or one of our affiliate colleges or universities.

The program is based on the competencies required by the American Health Information Association (AHIMA) which can be found on the website of our accrediting agency, the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management CAHIIM): http://www.cahiim.org/him/curriculumrequirements.html

Demand is on the rise in this field, due to an aging population and an increase in the number of insured people. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of health information technicians is projected to grow 17 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.

As our curriculum incorporates medicine, management, finance, information technology, and law throughout the program, graduates can choose from a wide variety of workplace settings. More than 95 percent of our graduates find jobs in their field within six months of obtaining their degree. Places that hire health information professionals include hospitals, rehab centers, private healthcare practices, software companies, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare associations, insurance companies, and research laboratories. Job title of past graduates include HIM director, coding specialist, clinical documentation specialist, compliance officer, privacy officer, director of IT applications, and EHR implementation specialist.

Requirements for all health information management degree and certificate programs:

July 31 deadline for Fall Admissions. Apply now for the Bachelor or Health Information Management.

An overall minimum grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale is required.

A grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale for all courses identified as core prerequisites including the following: English Composition, Anatomy & Physiology, Computer Science requirement, Principles of Management/Business Management.

Submission of essay stating why applicant has selected HIM as a program and/or profession.

Submission of official transcripts* of all previous college courses as well as an updated transcript from the affiliate institution, if applicable.

Submission of documentation indicating courses in progress and/or to be completed prior to enrollment**

Students take pre-requisites at an affiliate school or any other accredited school. Students may apply directly to the solo degree having completed the following general education course at a regionally accredited college or university:

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSE

CREDITS

English Composition I

3

English Composition II or Technical Writing

3

College Algebra

3

Anatomy & Physiology I

4

Anatomy & Physiology II

4

Principals of Management

3

Social Science and Diversity Elective

3

History Elective

3

Literature and Arts Elective

3

Financial Accounting

3

Statistics

3

Intro to Computers

3

General Electives

21

TOTAL GE CREDITS

59

Affiliate schools have a minimum number of pre-requisite courses required. Students should apply directly to those institutions, with the exception of Thomas Edison State University, where they apply to Rutgers SHP.

Those with a previous bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution who do not wish to earn a second degree may pursue a certificate in HIM. In order to maintain eligibility for the RHIA credentialing exam, the certificate is 49 credits to cover the required competencies.

Pre-requisite Courses (may be transferred from previous degree if passed with grade of C or better within the past 10 years). Applicants must show that prerequisite courses are complete or in progress with planned completion prior to the Fall start of HIM courses.

Those with a previous baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution within the United States or a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university outside the US are not required to complete any of the general education courses other than the prerequisites listed below. An applicant who holds a degree from an accredited college or university will apply as a second-degree student.

Pre-requisite Courses (may be transferred from previous degree if passed with grade of C or better within the past 10 years). Applicants must show that prerequisite courses are complete or in progress with planned completion prior to the Fall start of HIM courses.

Applicants who already have completed an A.A. or an A.S from a N.J. community college or have completed a majority of the courses listed below may apply directly to the HIM program. To be eligible for admission, applicants must meet GPA requirements and must have completed the prerequisite courses below.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED certificate and be computer literate as many courses in the program are online.

Applicants must have completed Anatomy and Physiology I & II with a grade of C or better prior to the start of program courses. Upon entry into the program, students will study disease pathology and the format and content of health records.

*Students who have attended a foreign college or university are required to submit an official English Translation of the academic credits from the World Education Service as well as an official transcript from their college.

The Bachelor of Science Health Information Management degree program consists of 61 credits which are taken after students have completed all required general education credits at a previous college/university or at one of our affiliates. General education courses, completed prior to entry can range from 59-70 credits depending on the affiliate institution.

Those who have a B.S. degree can pursue a second B.S. degree or a 49-credit certificate that will make them eligible for the RHIA credential exam in HIM.

The Medical Coding certificate is a 21-credit curriculum for those who want to become medical coders in hospitals, physician offices, or insurance companies.

In our fully online, 21-credit Medical Coding Certificate Program, students learn to classify medical data from inpatient, outpatient, and physician office records. The ability to effectively and efficiently code data is critical to medical research, medical and health education, and planning and monitoring public health.

A high need for qualified coders can mean flexible job hours, sign-on bonuses, and the potential to work from home. In addition, consulting and travel opportunities are abundant.

Students will study disease pathology and the format and content of health records. Graduates gain an in-depth knowledge of the ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS, and CPT coding systems as well as reimbursement systems used in the United States.

Students who complete the coding certificate courses can continue on and achieve a Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management. All courses in the certificate program count toward the BS HIM degree.

The broad nature of the curriculum in this program prepares graduates for more than 75 careers in all aspects of health care management in multiple venue such as hospitals, physician offices, insurance companies, and compliance offices.

Go to our Undergraduate Admissions page and follow the guideline for applying. Request all prior transcripts be mailed to the address on the application and complete the essay stated on the application by July 31 for Fall admission.